Now in its ninth year, the San Diego Black Film Festival (SDBFF) has blossomed into one of the largest black film festivals in the country, and this year’s event is the largest yet, with 120 films scheduled to show over four days (Jan. 27-30). With the festival’s broad focus on African-American and African Diaspora film, the jampacked lineup is about as diverse as they come, with submissions from as far away as Israel and Hong Kong screening at Horton Plaza’s Regal UA Theatre.

San Diego Black Film Festival

When: Jan. 27 to 30

Where: Regal UA Theatre, Horton Plaza

How much: Screening Pass for all films ($75); Festival Pass admits two to all screenings parties and special events ($500); Opening Night Reception and films ($50); Awards Dinner and Gala ($100). Individual tickets ($15) also available.

Online: sdbff.com

With so many films and points of view under its umbrella, it’s no wonder that the festival’s public relations director, Yuhanna El-Bey, hedges when asked what exactly defines “black cinema.” While he describes it as “film that has a black or African interest and focus,” El-Bey notes with enthusiasm how diverse that focus has become in the three years he’s worked with the festival, encompassing animation, horror, documentary, comedy, gay cinema and more. For El-Bey, it’s a meaningful shift from the potentially restrictive label of “black cinema” to, simply, “quality, independent cinema.”

For festival attendees — estimated to hit anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000 people — this means a wealth of choices. For those seeking more commercially appealing fare, festival organizers are offering “The Big 8,” described as “this year’s must-see films.” Included is “Dog Jack,” a Civil War-era drama narrated by Louis Gossett Jr., and the documentary “Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of ‘The Spook Who Sat By the Door,’ ” about the FBI’s repression of the controversial 1973 civil rights satire.

If globe-trotting is more your style, the SDBFF has an intriguing roster of international titles, including “Isaiah’s Children: An Exodus Story,” a documentary about the dramatic escape of Sudanese refugees seeking asylum in Israel, “Twiga Stars (Tanzania’s Soccer Sisters),” a documentary about the Tanzanian women’s soccer team, “Little Gobi,” an animated feature from Hong Kong, and — to keep things closer to home — a short film by San Diego-based filmmaker Nina Foxx (“Closer 2 Crazy”).

For the San Diego Black Film Foundation, which hosts the festival, what happens behind the silver screen is just as important as what’s reflected upon it. With blacks still vastly underrepresented as directors, screenwriters, producers and financiers, the foundation uses the festival to nurture and educate black filmmakers through panel discussions and meet-and-greets with industry professionals.

Whether their goal is to network with insiders or escape cold weather, filmmakers are clearly eager to make their way to San Diego. About 250 have registered to attend, selling out the reserved block of hotel rooms by the second week in January — a first for the festival.

The SDBFF places parties near the top of its priority list and, with 18,000 square feet inside the former Robinsons/May department store, the festival’s planners have plenty of space to play with. Returning for a seventh year is the 1970s-themed “Shaft Superfly Party” (Jan. 28). In addition to bell-bottoms and high-volume wigs, the party attracts unannounced celebrity guests, surprising even the festival’s director, Karen Willis.

“You never know what stars are going to going show up,” Willis said, citing Jay-Z and Bobby Brown as two of last year’s party crashers. “Every year is a total surprise.”

Though the more recognizable guests might find seclusion in the VIP lounge, they’re more than likely to take a public stroll down the red carpet, so celebrity gawkers are encouraged to hit the sidewalks at Fourth and E in front of the Balboa Theatre.

This year, festival organizers are kicking it up a notch with the addition of another high-profile event, the “Hollywood Blackout” fashion show and industry party (Jan. 27), described by El-Bey as “an amazing theatrical production.”

“We do it like no other,” El-Bey says with a laugh. “We want to make these up-and-coming filmmakers, artists and crews feel like the stars they are aspiring to be, so we roll out the red carpet for them.”